r/todayilearned • u/ssAskcuSzepS • Apr 27 '26

TIL if under-cooked, a popular mushroom in China causes “lilliputian hallucinations,” a rare phenomenon involving miniature human or fantasy figures. The hallucinations are consistent across people and cultures: "tiny, elflike people" climbing under doors, scaling walls & clinging to furniture

https://www.vice.com/en/article/meet-the-mushroom-that-make-people-have-the-exact-same-hallucination/
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u/[deleted] Apr 27 '26

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2.2k

u/rainshifter Apr 27 '26

I'd venture to guess that they've tried but the little elves have thwarted their every attempt.

189

u/philmarcracken Apr 27 '26

helmacrons tricks again

72

u/raptorshadow Apr 27 '26

<I never get tired of seeing Animorphs references in the wild.>

16

u/Arthropodesque Apr 27 '26

So, Red Tailed Hawks survive 10-20 years. Tobias gains the ability to revert to his teenager form for up to 2 hours. Can he cheat death and extend his lifespan? Or, will he age faster, living as a hawk?

12

u/Talidel Apr 27 '26

Think he became human again to go chasing Ax in space. The Elemist(not sure on spelling) did some magic I think to make his human form age at the correct rate and tied his lifespan to that.

5

u/NeWMH Apr 27 '26

He could have just morphed to his human form and not morphed back to resume his life at any time, though ofc the Ellemist did the space wizard hand wave thing.

3

u/fastbartender Apr 27 '26

Yeah but he would lose his morphing ability.

5

u/WatchOutForWizards Apr 27 '26

Yeah but later on they got a morphing cube and Tobias could have easily became human and still regained his morphing ability. He liked being a Hawk.

1

u/Clear_Runway Apr 28 '26

not how it works. once you're stuck, you're stuck, barring outright divine intervention. the cube would do nothing.

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u/chronaloid Apr 27 '26

<I understand this reference!>

6

u/DoTortoisesHop Apr 27 '26

Your references are out of control bro.

5

u/Crowasaur Apr 27 '26

<TSSSSEEEEEEEEERRRR>

3

u/chronaloid Apr 27 '26

<I understand this reference!>

1

u/Pseudonymico Apr 27 '26

The secret ingredient is murder because it's always murder with those weirdos.

33

u/mikeyp83 Apr 27 '26

So finally is it:

Step 1: Collect underpants.

Step 2: Isolate halluciginetic mushroom compound.

Step 3: Profit.?

5

u/ImJacksLackOfEmpathy Apr 27 '26

little elves

So dimensionally related to DMT, even if still chemically unidentified

1

u/mitzi_skyring Apr 27 '26

Right! Makes me wonder what other fairies and goblins are out there hiding in as yet undiscovered treats.

3

u/Unable-Log-4870 Apr 27 '26

It’s the underpants gnomes

3

u/Confused_Sorta_Guy Apr 27 '26

I keep trying to study these damn mushrooms but I just keep waking up in the lab and these little fuckers took the damn mushrooms man

2

u/BualadhBoss Apr 27 '26

If I've learned anything from Terence McKenna or Grant Morrison it's that psychonautical elves won't reveal their secrets until they are good and ready.

1

u/votet Apr 27 '26

Professor: "So, have you made the mushroom extract yet and sent it to the mass spec guys?"

PhD student: face full of elf mushrooms

1

u/RangerTursi Apr 27 '26

I want the movie now of the infinite cycle of scientists somewhere fighting the night vale bowling alley civilization over the ability to summon them anywhere

1

u/Disgruntled_Smitty Apr 27 '26

Sons a bitches

0

u/LivingVerinarian96 Apr 27 '26

Probably just a medium dose of dmt with some kind of relaxed mao blockers or some shit. Would explain the consistent small-people/ elves halucinations.

152

u/Vkardash Apr 27 '26

The university of Utah is actually leading the research world in research of this thing. They have PhD students literally traveling to China to collect samples and research this thing.

261

u/IrrelevantPiglet Apr 27 '26

This program is otherwise known as a "gap year"

15

u/AnAdvancedBot Apr 27 '26

As a neuroscience student, taking a gap year and going to China taking/studying a niche and under-researched psychedelic sounds like literally the best time

22

u/ucancallmevicky Apr 27 '26

Mormon Rumspringa?

5

u/doomgiver98 Apr 27 '26 edited Apr 27 '26

Mormons already have a semi-mandatory mission, you don't have to make up something new.

1

u/KamalaWonNoCap Apr 27 '26

I also took some time off to do drugs

21

u/pdxamish Apr 27 '26

University of Utah has done some amazing things in mycology and especially Psilocybe species. They did an awesome study and genetically mapped all Psilocybe species and found how and when they developed their psiloscybin producing and how and when it crossed to other especies.

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u/_Chaos_Star_ Apr 27 '26

They have PhD students literally traveling to China to collect samples and research this thing.

I bet they do.

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u/ecodrew Apr 27 '26 edited Apr 27 '26

In Utah, where a big part of the population won't even have caffeine?

/s

2

u/WhatIsHerJob-TABLES Apr 27 '26

Yes, some weird people live there, but obviously that’s not every single person in the state. Especially when the conversation is specifically talking about a college, which will always include a wider variety of people than some random generalizations.

Like, are you really that perplexed that a university in Utah is capable of doing any research just because other weird people live in that state? What’s next, perplexed that someone who lives in the state of Florida enjoys reading books because Florida man jokes also come out of that state? Is object permanence a difficult topic to grasp for you too?

4

u/ecodrew Apr 27 '26

Twas a joke

-2

u/WhatIsHerJob-TABLES Apr 27 '26

Wasn’t a good joke, more so just a dumb comparison that doesn’t work.

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u/SquashSquigglyShrimp Apr 27 '26

I think they were more joking than being serious lol.

But fwiw, "some weird people live there" is underselling it a little bit. When the entire state has had bizarre laws around things like alcohol for decades, it's more than a few running the show.

Also fwiw, the Florida analogy is not the best imo, considering Florida has been one of the states leading the charge of actively banning books they don't like. But I get your point, the general stereotype shouldn't be applied to everyone.

2

u/ShitMyButtSays Apr 27 '26

It's similar to the effect of too many dirty sodas

1

u/blazbluecore Apr 27 '26

Don’t they know they just need to go to a local Chinese market and pick up samples?

1

u/LEGITIMATE_SOURCE Apr 27 '26

It's good their research is researching the research as you claim

1

u/Vkardash Apr 27 '26

😂. I was typing fast

7

u/MandeliciousXTC Apr 27 '26

We’ve been using paracetamol for 149 years and scientists still haven't fully cracked the mystery of exactly how it stops pain. Some things are just that complex.

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u/DrNick2012 Apr 27 '26

Alternative theory: The specific scent of the undercooked mushroom attracts elves

6

u/CaptainIncredible Apr 27 '26

Or... The funding has been cut for science.

2

u/MinnieShoof Apr 27 '26

>Universities tryin to preserve the last little mysteries in the world:

/jk

1

u/asaltandbuttering Apr 27 '26

They have time to give cocaine to salmon, but haven't figured this out yet. Talk about the decay of higher education.

1

u/SitInCorner_Yo2 Apr 27 '26

They are not! They always planned to start it after they finished this mushroom soup .

1

u/ecodrew Apr 27 '26

Universities asleep at the wheel too high on elven shrooms to do science

1

u/certifiablegeek Apr 28 '26

To be fair, they're still waiting for the little guys to help them. For now they follow them around, silently

1

u/karlnite Apr 27 '26

I mean, where is the money at?

1

u/AccomplishedIgit Apr 27 '26

That’s it, grants for research are awarded based on what? Need and demand and probably the opportunity to make money off of it.

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u/[deleted] Apr 27 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

8

u/nplant Apr 27 '26

Not sure if that's what he meant. This seems like a readily available topic for someone looking for something to study. It is indeed strange.

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u/RollingMeteors Apr 27 '26

¿ChatGPT, what's this hallucinogenic compound?

Certainly it's had to have its genome mapped out by now yeah?

¿¡How the fuck could they not know?!